Antiskid device



w.1. GUNDEIIMAN.

ANTISKID DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 27,19I9.

, 1,400,358. Patented Dec. 13, 1921.

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UNITED STATES PATENT FFIi'E.

WILLIAM J. GUNDERMAN, OF NEW' YORK, N. Y.

ANrrsmn DEVICE.

Application filed .Tune 27, 1919. Serial No. 307,100.

Z 10 all 1li/wm it may concern.'

Be it known that l. VVILLMM J, @UNDER- MAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at the borough of Manhattan, in the city, county, and State oi New York, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Antiskid Devices, oi which the tollewing is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings, which form a part thereof.

My invention relates to anti-skid devices, and more particularly to a device oi` this kind adapted to be permanently attached to the folly of the wheel, while being capable of being quickly brought into and out ot the position where it is operative in relation to the road.

A device made in accordance with my invention is so constructed that the plunger, when the device is in use, will. be brought into rolling contact with the road, and maintained in engagement therewith by heavy spring pressure acting axially oit the plunger, the supporting means for this plunger being so constructed as; to resist the transverse stresses upon the plunger.

Means are provided whereby the tension of this spring'may be regulated to meet the needs of vehicles oi diiierent weights, and the operative end of the plunger is made detachable, so that contact points or difierent types may be substituted to meet difierent weather conditions.

In an anti-skid device made in accordance with my invention, the gripping plunger, as .it is brought, by the rotation ot the wheel, into a vertical position with relation tothe road, will recede from the road against the tension of the spring acting thereon, the effectiveness oi' the grip during this interval being determined by the strength of the spring, which, as stated above, may be regulated to meet different requirements of the device.

Under normal working conditions the end of the plunger adjacent the road will be projected beyond the tread oi the tire, means being provided whereby the extent oi' this projection may be regulated.

The invention consists primarily in an anti-skid device embodying therein a bracket adapted to be permanently connected with a wheel telly, upper and lower alined bearings thereon positioned at one side 0f the ielly, a reciprocatory plunger mounted in said bearings, a spring seat carried by said plunger adjacent the lower of said bearings, a spring coiled about said plunger and acting against the upper of said bearings and said spring seat, whereby a directly vertical thrust is directed upon said plunger by said spring, and means limiting the extent of movement oi said plunger' by said spring; and in such other n ovel features of construction and combination of parts as are hereinafter set forth and described, and more particularly pointed out in the claims hereto appended.

Referring to the drawings,

Figure l is a side view of a device made in accordance with my invention, portions thereof being broken away;

Fig 2 is a section on the line of liig. l, showing in dotted lines the wrench by which the plunger may be raised out of its operative relation;

Fig. 8 is a detailed view of thel plunger lifting mechanism, with the plunger in the raised position; and

Fig. 4 is a view of a modii'ied form or contact point.

Likeletters refer to like parts throughout the several views.

ln the embodiment oi? my invention shown in the drawings, l have indicated at a a cross-sectional view oi a wheel telly having a solid rubber tire thereon. Secured to this elly is a bracket Z) having an angular portion adapted to conform to the telly and be secured thereto by means of screws, bolts, or in any other desired manner. This bracket has a vertically extending web o terminating in a forked head b2.

Carried by the bracket o are alined vbearings c and d, the upper of which is positioned adjacent the forked head 62, and the lower ot which, d, is elongated as shown, and positioned adjacent the lower end of the bracket b.

Mounted in the bearings c and d is a reciprocatory plunger e having a reduced portion provided with screw threads e2 adjacent the bearing d, and e3 adjacent the upper end thereof, and a contact head et.

A'djustably mounted upon the reduced portion e of the plunger, by means of the screw threads e2, is a nut f which serves as a spring seat between which and the uppery bearing o, a coiled spring g is mounted, which spring encircles said reduced portion of the plunger. I

By the construction described, I secure the advantage that the lower end of the plunger having movement in the bearing cl, may be made of sufficient size and of hardened steel so as to withstand the ordinary stresses of use, the upper portion of the plunger and' the bearing c being subjected to little or no such stresses. By providing a coiled spring, the axis of which is coincident with that of the plunger, l avoid all likelihood of such side stresses from said spring upon the plunger as might result in such friction between it and the bearing (Z as would interfere with the free movement ofthe plunger as it comes to a position vertical to the road. I am also enabled, by adjusting the nut f, to regulate the tension of this spring so as to determine themagimum forceV of contact between the contact head c4c of the plunger and the road, when the plunger is in the vertical position.

ln the accompanying drawings, l have shown the reduced portion of the plunger as being made of a separate rod connected with the enlarged portion thereof by means ofscrew threads, but it is apparent that this is a mere detail of construction, it being possible to provide screw threads for the entire length of this portion, so as to permit the mounting of the nut thereon. 'I1his, however, merely requires 'mechanical s rill. A Y

Carried by the screwvthreads e3 is an adjustable shouldered nut 7i cooperating with which isa lock nut t, said nut 7i being adapted, by engagement with-the upper end of the slide i, to limit the extent of projection of the contact'end of the plunger beyond the tread of the tire while it is in the operative position. By means of this nut the extent of such projection may also be regulated, the lock nut 7L being used to pre-.

vent the loss of adjustment as a result of vibration. Y

The slide z' is mounted between the arms of the forked head b2 and in a vertically extending way formed in the web b. Botatably mounted between the arms of said forked head is a shaft, 7' having a cam .7" mounted thereon and rotatable therewith, said cam being adapted to operatively engage theV recessed extension 1L of the slide The end of the shaft y' projects beyond the forked head b2 and is adapted to receive a spanner or key wrench 7c shown in dotted lines, Fig.V 2, the use of which, or of some similar tool, being necessary by reason of the greattension of the spring g. Y

Y The Contact end et of the plunger e Vis removable from said plunger by means of the fcoperating'screw studs and screw threads shown, 'with the two-fold object of permitting the substitution of a new4 contact end in the event of wear thereon, or permitting the removal of a contactend having a square surface which is adapted to-be used in rainy kweather or upon wet roads, and the substitution therefor of a pointed end e5, like that shown in Fig. ,4, for use upon icy roads.

The operation of the herein described device is substantially as follows While theskidding of automobiles occurs with great suddenness, the-driving wheels are always rotating unless skidding results from a strong application of brakes, which a skilful driver will avoid upon a slippery road. Hence it is unnecessary to have antiskid devices throughout the entire periphery of a wheel, three or four of such devices ordinarily being sufficient to prevent the spinning of the wheel, and any tendency of the wheels to skid, if the brakes are properly handled. Any number of devices made in accordance with my invention may, hovever, be applied to a wheel, the contact plunger being arranged upon either side of the wheel, as may be desired, if suitable clearance is present.

The brackets b are permanently and firmly connected to the felly of the wheel. lWhere the wheel has a wooden felly, ordinary screws may be used for this purpose, and where the felly is of metahit isneces- 'sary to use bolts and to drill proper holes in the felly to receive same. Y

Y1When each bracket D has been properly positioned upon the wheel felly, the nuts L and 7L are adjusted until the contact end e4or c projects slightly beyond thetread of the tire, due allowance being made for the compression thereof undeil varying loads. When the plunger has been thus adjusted, to define the degree of projection of the contact end with relationito the felly, the nut fis adjusted to secure the desired tension ofthe spring g. Y Y

llVhen the parts have been thus proporly adjusted, the cam ,7" may be actuated to either raise the plunger c to bring the contact end e4 or e5 above the plane of the road, so that as the driving wheels rotate, the contact head. @tor will not engage the road at all, Vor whenv the road is bad, the cam y" may be turned as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings, to permit the spring g to project the plunger e to the maximum extent permitted by the nut h, and bringgthe contact end c4 or beyond the treadrof the tire so that the contactend of'each device upon the wheel will engage the road with each rotation thereof.

As the wheel rotates, the contact end of the plunger will be Vbrought into rolling contact with the road, the initial Contact being at one edge of the end et, so as'to take a sufficient bite on theV road toi-check any tendency Vof, the wheel to spin. Vflisvthe plunger comes to the vertical position, the

spring g will yield, permittingmovement ofthe plunger e, but maintaining frictional contact-thereof with the road commensurateend of the plunger' rises with the continued rotation of the wheel, the spring will maintain this engagement until the extreme limit ot. movement or' the plunger is reached.

While the plungerl is in engagement with the road, slippage of the wheel, or skidding of the vehicle, is impossible, and by using a plurality of devices about the wheel, the interval during which there is no plunger operative upon the road, is so short as to prevent any likelihood of material slippage of the wheels or skidding of the vehicle.

The elongated bearing Z will absorb most of the stresses circumferentially of the wheel or axially thereof, thus relieving the upper portion of the plunger from these stresses.

By the construction described, the head c* and the enlarged adjacent portion of the plunger e may be made sufliciently strong to withstand breaking or bending strains, which will be transmitted to the telly through the bracket and the connections between these parts.

By the use of the spring g oit' the construction and in the relation shown, the tree reciprocatory movement of the plunger e under the load of the vehicle is assured, and the likelihood of a binding or disarrangement oi parts is avoided. This is of considerable importance where a spring of high tension is to be used. Furthermore, this construction permits a quick and convenient adjustment of the tension of the spring and of the extent of projection of the plunger, and facilitates the actuation of the plunger to bring it into and out of the operative relation to the road.

wWhen the roads are good, the cam y" may be turned by means of the shaft j and the wrench or key f: so as to raise the slide a', the engagement of which, in close proximity to the plunger e with the nut h, will readily lift the plunger e against the tension of the spring g. SinceA the device is readily accessible Jfrom the outside of the wheel, irrespective of the side thereof upon which it is mounted, this adjustment may be quickly secured.

The construction and manner of assembling the various parts is such that there will be no rattle in the device, the spring g serving to prevent any looseness between the different parts.

With icy roads there might be a tendency of a plunger having a flat contact end such as e, to slip upon the ice, the removability of said head however, permitting the quick and convenient substitution of a head like that shown in Fig. 4, the spike upon which will effectively grip ice.

Since the extent of penetration of the contact head into the `road need not be great, and since the extent oi projection of this head may be controlled, there is little or no likelihood of material injury to a road as a re sult of the use of devices made in accordance with my invention.

It is not my intention to limit the invention to the precise details of construction shown in the accompanying drawings, it being apparent that such may be varied without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Having described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to have protected by Letters Patent, is z- 1. An anti-skid device embodying therein a bracket adapted to be permanently connected with a wheel telly, upper and lower alined bearings thereon positioned at one side of the telly, a reciprocatory plunger mounted in said bearings, a spring seat carried by said plunger adjacent the lower of said bearings, a spring coiled about said plunger and acting against the upper of said bearings and said spring seat, whereby a directly vertical thrust is directed upon said plunger by said spring, a member adjustably mounted upon said plunger and adapted to engage one of said bearings, whereby the eX- tent of movement of said plunger by said spring may be regulated, a slide mounted upon said bracket and adapted to be engaged by said member, and a cam rotatably mounted in said bracket and cooperating with said slide, whereby said plunger may be raised to, and maintained in, a position where it will not engage the road.

2. An anti-skid device embodying therein a bracket adapted te be permanently connected with a wheel felly, upper and lower alined bearings thereon positioned at one side of the felly, a reciprocatory plunger mounted in said bearings, said plunger having a contact end removable therefrom, whereby differently shaped ends maybe used upon said plunger, a spring seat carried by said plunger adjacent the lower of said bearings, a spring coiled about said plunger and acting against the upper of said bearings and said spring seat, whereby a directly vertical thrust is directed upon said plunger by said spring, and means limiting the extent of movement of said plunger by said spring.

In witness whereof I have hereunto afliXed my signature, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, this 25th day of June,

WILLIAM J. GUNDERMAN. Witnesses:

F. P. WnN'rwoR'rH, FRIEDA KOEHLER. 

